“Jumanji: Next Level” is the follow up to the 2017 hit also directed by Jake Kasdan. His latest film stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillian. As with the last “Jumanji,” the characters within the game take on the personalities of Fridge, Bethany, Spencer, and Martha. Danny DeVito and Danny Glover add to the mix as Eddie (Spencer’s grandfather) and Milo (Eddie’s estranged best friend) who also make their way into the game. While most of the movie feels much like a repeat performance, the addition of DeVito and Glover add enough to make the move fresh and entertaining. The offensive language is found through much of the movie, and there is no shortage of God’s name being used in vain. For this reason, I can’t recommend this as a family-friendly movie. I can say it was entertaining enough to keep me interested and laughing through the film.

The story picks up a few years later from where “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” left off. The main characters have moved on from high school on their separate paths and have a meetup planned for their break home from college. When Spencer doesn’t show up, the rest go looking for their friend. Soon we find the four friends back into the game to rescue their friend along with DeVito and Glover. The game rules remain the same with each character within the game getting only 3 lives. Dangers abound and everyone loses at least one life on their journey.

Once again, the characters have to save Jumanji to be freed from the game. The main antagonist this time is the the evil Jurgan The Brutal. Plenty of excitement fills the storyline from new weaknesses for the characters as well as stampeding ostrich herds and other creatures who cause great peril for the players. The film is well acted, directed, and the pace kept me in the movie through the entire running time.

This film lives up to the hype trailer. It sticks to the same basic formula but this gives the viewers a fun ride through the adventure of getting sucked into a video game. I would have liked it more had they avoided the unnecessary use of profanity. Most Christians will not want to be subjected to the added GDs which were not in the last film.

The objectionable content ranges from a handful of profanities to implied adultery of the game characters. God’s name is misused numerous times, 22 misuses of the word “H*ll”, 3 “d*mn”, and 1 “go scr*w yourself.” Characters also reference their testicles and breasts. And there is one implied reference to the size of someone’s penis, but they cut before you hear it. Other language is listed below.

I do wish Hollywood directors like Kasdan would keep so much objectionable material out of anything remotely billed as a family movie. This makes it very unwise to bring kids to what could otherwise be an enjoyable movie. Given the director’s previous raunchy movies, perhaps it makes sense that the family genre was a bit of a stretch. Jake previously directed movies such as “Sex Tape,” “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” and “Bad Teacher”—all highly offensive.

A few positive themes are exhibited among the characters. These come from the value of life made in the image of God.

“And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him. Male and female he created them.” —Genesis 1:27

Also, the importance of loving your friends more than yourself.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” —Phillipians 2:3

Sex:
• Eddie finds himself as the character Dr. Smolder and bumps into his old lover who we find out is married. There are innuendos to Eddie meeting up with the woman.
• Woman flirts with man, then slaps him and leaves, but he tells others they’re getting together later and they know what that means
• The others tell him she has a clue for him and he suggestively jokes “I've got a ‘clue’ for her.”
• Male characters inhabit female character bodies within the game and vice versa
• Reference to a character’s genitalia
• Kisses (brief)

Violence: Moderately Heavy—
• Cartoon-type violence associated with deaths within the video game. No blood is shown.
• The characters face wild animals and perilous heights as they go on their journey.

Nudity: Moderate—
• Ruby Roundhouse wears short shorts and a bare mid-drift shirt throughout most of the movie
• cleavage
• short shorts

Neutral—OKAY so lets start by saying I loved the first sequel, and I pretty much felt the same way about this one same fun same enjoyment and action packed adventure and humor my only gripe is THERE IS ALL TOGETHER TOO MUCH TAKING OF THE LORD’S NAME IN VAIN the first sequel didn’t need this why the second one GD is used a few times and it brought nothing to the story and the trans humor another reviewer mentioned I myself laughed out loud and same thing with the sexual humor I’m EASY TO MAKE LAUGH EVEN AT WORLDLY HUMOR sometimes but the language is ABSOLUTLEY UNCALLED FOR, but, aside from that, I loved the movie—just not for kids.My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5

Chris, age 30 (USA)

Neutral—Pretty lame, even for a sequel.My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: no opinion

Ben Tetzner, age 68 (USA)

Neutral—Went to see the movie tonight. It was mediocre at best. The language sends it to sub mediocrity, but what do you expect from Hollywood? They simply can’t help themselves by creating what could be a great family movie making double the money into a film to try and get their agenda’s across. They in essence have “Jumped the Shark” as far as potential revenues for future sequels are concerned. I won’t go to the theatre to see anymore of them. I’ll wait til they are available online and watch through VidAngel so I can take out the parts I don’t want to see. Theater owners should start getting a backbone by standing together to keep Hollywood from sending them trash that simply eats at their concession profits because families won’t come that have any morals about them at all.My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4

Dow Wilson, age 52 (USA)

Negative

Negative—An action-packed movie with tremendous CG and a decent storyline, with gratuitous, entirely unnecessary and cringe-worthy blasphemy. Not for kids, and I can’t recommend it for those that don’t like repeatedly hearing the Lord’s name used in vain.

Also had occasional vulgar references. No need for any of them, they could have easily made this a family-friendly flick, but for whatever reason have abandoned that genre.My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½

Dennis, age 66 (USA)

Negative—So, I saw “Jumanji: the Next Level” tonight and I’ve decided to not see the Jumanji sequel again. First of all, the body switching Avatar stuff is practically promoting transgenderism these days. Marsha is in a male body at one point, Fridge is in a female body at one point, Spencer is in a female body most of the movie, and Bethany is either a male horse or a man. The previous sequel that I missed at least has the excuse that Bethany unknowingly was transformed against her will, but Fridge makes comments about touching “his” breasts in a way that children do not need to hear and Bethany is happy to be a man at one point.

Second, the language is beyond unnecessary, and it feels like they are doing it to say cussing and blaspheming God’s name has been done in a Jumanji movie.

True, Eddie and Milo reconcile, Milo finds a purpose to protect the world of Jumanji, and the friends persevere to defeat the villain, but the Jumanji sequels feel unnecessary with Robin Williams” death and are a cash grab at best. What could’ve been a fun adventure movie was just a contest of vulgarity and crudeness.My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½

Peter, age 29 (USA)

Negative—YIKES! The first few minutess, Christ’s name is taken in vain… Danny Divito’s character was very blasphemous and foul! Normally I would not see any movie that takes the Lord’s name in vain. And never again; I can’t stand it! So disappointed that it was used so much and to hear the audience laughing at it made me sad.

I really didn’t care for the storyline and I agree with the previous viewer that mentioned the gender-bending though out the movie. I read up on the Rock, and he claims to be a believer and here is one of the producers making a movie that blasphemes God’s name so many times it makes me wonder. I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone; it was a not a great story and the effects were ok. Also, as far as afterlife, the one man who had cancer Milo chose to stay in the game since he was going to die anyway. No hope of heaven was expressed. IT WAS REALLY STUPID!My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3

Sharon, age 59 (USA)

—Negative—the language in this movie was horrific!! God’s Name in vain (GD) was used over 6 times. Oh my G** was used over 20 times and curse words over and over. There was crude humor as well. This movie was very inappropriate and should be rated R! We took our 14 year old son without checking here first. Won’t make that mistake again.My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2

Liz Wilson, age 48 (USA)

Negative—Very disappointed. I loved the first sequel, even with the crude humor. This one went way too far especially with the foul language. The thing that was truly bothersome to me was the youth in the audience laughed so much when the Lord’s name was used in such a manner. So sad. I think that since the crude humor got some good laughs in the previous sequel the writers decided to try another one—sorry it did not work. I wish that I had not gone to this movie.My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½